Urge California Judge to Incarcerate Dog Torturer at September 7 Sentencing

Please respond by September 6 and forward.


A Rancho Cucamonga, California, man pleaded guilty on June 28 to charges stemming from one of this year's most appalling crimes against animals. He will be sentenced on September 7 by Judge Shahla Sabet, and Her Honor should know that you want the felon to serve every day of jail time that he faces.

The convict is Micah Lamar Fennell, 27. His conviction on felony charges followed his March 23 burning of his great-uncle's collie. Fennell—following an argument with his father—apparently doused the dog with gasoline and set her on fire. When police arrived at the scene, they smelled gasoline and saw clumps of burned hair both inside and outside the house. The horribly injured dog was found hiding upstairs in the home, suffering from extensive second-degree burns from her neck down to her tail, according to news sources. She has undergone extensive veterinary care and thankfully is now in county custody.

Judge Sabet, according to prosecutors, indicated in June that she would not sentence Fennell to more than 16 months of jail time. (He faced three years in jail for the crimes that he admitted to committing.) Prosecutors will ask that Fennell serve all 16 months behind bars.

Please respectfully remind Judge Sabet that people who abuse animals rarely do so only once and almost never stop there. Politely explain that the safety of the community and its animals may well be at stake and would best be protected by Fennell's maximum incarceration, his examination and proper treatment in the care of mental health professionals, and a permanent ban on his ability to own, possess, or care for animals in the state of California—as is allowed by state penal code.

Correspondence that is not courteous jeopardizes the success of our campaign.

The Honorable Shahla Sabet
Judge, San Bernardino County Superior Court
8303 N. Haven Ave.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
909-948-4507 (fax)